THE people of Alcester made sure they took precautions against a rather large dragon that visited the town as part of its first ever St. George's Day Parade.

The dragon, made by students at Alcester Academy, was one of many larger-than-life characters who took to the streets of the town to celebrate the country's patron saint.

The Court Leet's High Bailiff, Steven Brown, said that when he was elected to the position he made a promise that the town would celebrate St. George's Day properly.

"It's the first time it's been done here in probably over a century," he explained. "Alcester is a festival town and we should be celebrating our traditions to set an example to other small towns."

A parade took place on High Street where St. George was joined by a maiden, scouts, a group of mummers who performed a very unique and entertaining play, and members of the Court Leet.

People of the town gathered around St Nicholas Church where they sung the national anthem and heard a speech from Reverend Adrian Guthrie of the church.

Chairman of Warwickshire County Council David Shilton made an appearance in the town on the day saying that he didn't want to be anywhere else while Alcester Mayor Mark Cargill said: "It's days like these that I will remember for the rest of my life."